1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf green repair tools and the like.
2. Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of mechanical turf repair tools for golf greens.
During the game of golf small amounts of damage are sometimes caused on golf greens. One example of such a small damage is the indentation made in a green by the golf ball when it is lofted or driven toward a green and falls onto it from a relatively high altitude.
Putting greens should be as free as possible from damage and irregularities of all kinds, but especially those caused by pitch marks. Ball marks that are poorly repaired, or not repaired at all, are a major factor that limits turf quality and playing conditions on putting greens. It is well documented in many golf industry publications that an improperly repaired ball mark may take two to three times longer to grow back to its original pristine state than one that is properly repaired.
It is each player's obligation to repair his/her divots as they occur. This is generally done using either a golf tee or one of countless designs of traditional divot repair tools sold and/or given away at most golf shops. These traditional divot repair tools usually include a hard flat device approximately one to four inches long with one, two or three prongs that are inserted into the grass on the putting green and then turned or lifted to smooth the damaged area. They are generally small enough to fit comfortably into a golfer's pocket.
The improper use of a traditional fixed divot repair tool can seriously damage the roots of the grass. Regrettably most golfers do not use the traditional tool properly. In fact, despite continued efforts by golf courses and other organizations to educate golfers on the proper method, the problem continues to persist. This problem is because of the inherent design flaw of the existing traditional divot repair tools that actually encourages improper use.
The commercially available turf repair devices use variations of the stationary prong(s) design, generally using two prongs. This design does not lend itself to golfers adequately repairing divots on the green. These tools are employed to pry up green indentations, but not to pull together separated turf.
Further, the present commonly used tool requires several movements by the golfer from two or more sides of the divot that takes time to manage properly. Therefore, it would be a significant improvement to the maintenance of golf course greens everywhere if there were a tool that could, quickly, simply and properly repair ball marks.
Therefore the need exists for a golf ball mark repair tool that can be used by novice golfers with minimal instruction to properly repair ball marks. Additionally the need exists for a golf ball repair tool that can be used by experienced golfers to efficiently and effectively repair ball marks. Also, the need exists for a unique golf accessory enabled for advertising and promotional purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,388 to Doble discloses a Golfer's Helper that combines a two-pronged repair tool with a magnetic ball marker in order to remind the golfer to repair the divot. The limitation of the Doble patent is that the two-prong design is inefficient for repairing indentations in the green and most golfers do not have the knowledge or skill to effectively use the tool.
In contrast, the device shown by the Miura patent, U.S. Pat. No. D424151, shows a combined putting practice device and divot repair tool. It includes a hinged design to accommodate the putting practice feature. The limitation of the Miura patent is that the hinged design shown is inefficient for easily pulling turf together to facilitate repair and re-growth of the turf on the green.